About the PGPA

PGPA Group photo

In 1999, frustrated with holding ad hoc meetings at busy RHS Chelsea Flower Shows, Jerry Harpur and Andrew Lawson, recognised the need to bring together professional garden photographers on a more regular basis and what began as a ‘friendly chat’ in an RHS meeting room formed the basis of the PGPA today. A semi-autonomous group within Garden Media Guild (GMG), the PGPA is a recognised and respected voice within the garden and horticultural profession. With more than 100 members, the PGPA attracts leading professional photographers from across the globe.

What are the benefits of joining the PGPA?

  • Wherever you live and work in the world you will be a part of, and have access to, a community of the foremost professional garden photographers in the business.
  • The PGPA have established working relationships with various horticultural and related organisations on behalf of our members, promoting access to venues and events.
  • We have a dedicated PGPA members tick box for media access to RHS shows.  This doesn’t automatically grant you a press pass but will ensure that your application is reviewed with the understanding that you meet the professional criteria.
  • A profile on the PGPA website; a great platform to promote your work, to reach out to potential clients and a point of reference for those wanting to commission a garden photographer.
  • Access to online recorded workshops.
  • A dedicated group email network used to discuss issues, keep in touch, ask questions, tap into members technical knowhow, broadcast announcements about PGPA activities etc.
  • A Facebook page to promote our members photography.
  • Entry to the Image of the Month competition. Finalists are showcased on the website homepage with the winning image published in the GMG Magazine.
  • Access to meetings with the group.
  • Zoom access to meetings for those too far away, or unable, to attend in person.
  • Social events, the PGPA Chelsea and Hampton Court Show Breakfast Clubs are an opportunity for our members to meet & socialise.

Photography Awards for Garden Photographers

Each year The Garden Media Guild Awards celebrate the highest standards of garden writing, illustration, publishing and broadcasting. Categories in garden photography include The Gordon Rae Photographer of the Year, Features Photographer of the Year, and Portfolio Photographer of the Year awards. The Guild’s most prestigious award is the Lifetime Achievement Award. GMG and PGPA members have free entry for submissions to these awards. For more details of how to enter the awards, please go to: www.gardenmediaguild.co.uk

How Do I become a PGPA member?

The PGPA is a sub-group of the Garden Media Guild,(GMG) an established national organisation of professional communicators, associated with the garden industry. Without exception, PGPA members are also GMG members and to join the PGPA it is a requirement that you are also a member of the GMG.

GMG members include garden writers, authors, journalists, radio & TV presenters, broadcasters, book & magazine publishers, editors, photographers, artists, illustrators, web producers, bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and lecturers. The PGPA and the GMG work closely together united by their shared aims and objectives. The PGPA is managed and run on a voluntary basis and relies on its members to be pro-active in supporting the group.

There are two kinds of PGPA membership available. You can apply to join us at the same time as applying for membership of the GMG, or at any time after joining our parent organisation.

Full member: If you are currently earning an income as a garden photographer and meet the criteria of Guild membership.

Probationary member: If you are just starting out or considering a career that includes garden photography but don’t yet meet the criteria for full membership then, at the discretion of the PGPA Membership Committee, you may be eligible to join as a probationer. If approved, you will enjoy most of the benefits of full membership.

Apply to join the GMG/PGPA

Diversity Statement: The PGPA welcomes and supports any photographer involved in the horticultural media regardless of their race, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, faith, religion, belief system, disability, background or age.

We are an inclusive and friendly membership group, but recognise that there is a lack of diversity across the gardening media and in the horticultural sector as a whole. We are committed to listening to, and working with, our members and our colleagues throughout the industry, to ensure that everyone gets an equal opportunity to pursue a career as a garden photographer and to advance and prosper in their profession.